U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,086,552, 5,675,954 and 5,873,208 are directed to the use of old vehicle tires which are cut into various shingle shapes and applied directly as a roofing material. Although inexpensive, these products have a limited market because they are not aesthetically pleasing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,144 issued in 1997 to Maurer, et al is directed to a synthetic slate roofing-material which comprises a resin matrix and which employs inert fillers such as A.T.H. (aluminum tri-hydrate), Commercially available solid surfacing materials may be used along with additives and colorants in the final mix prior to homogenizing and molding. It is believed that the use of a resin binder greatly limits the flexibility of the synthetic slate roofing material described above.
Recently, James Crowe, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, appeared on PBS""s xe2x80x9cTHIS OLD HOUSExe2x80x9d. Mr. Crowe showed and described a synthetic slate shingle which he said he invented in 1988. The shingle includes pelletized materials such as surplus rubber from from a plant which makes rubber products and surplus polyethylene and polypropylene from a disposable baby diaper plant. Although Crowe states that his binders are trade secrets, they are believed to be vinyl acetate and aluminum trihydrate. The content of binder in Crowe""s product is thought to be about 60% by weight, and his rubber filler materials, about 40% by weight. By contrast, the subject invention employs up to about 60% by weight of rubber filler materials, and only 40% by weight binder. The ultra low density polyethylene binder employed by applicant is very pliable. It is capable of 1000% elongation, and acts like rubber, and is very tough.